The Bride of the Nile — Volume 11 by Georg Ebers
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page 3 of 59 (05%)
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held in her hand a written scroll that he let down to her by a lutestring
weighted with a scrap of wood. She had neither light nor fire, and the night was moonless. So she called up "Dark!" and immediately added, as he had done: "Look out." She then tied to the string the two best roses of those Pulcheria had brought her, and at her glad "Now!" they floated up. He expressed his thanks in a few low chords overflowing with yearning and passion; then all was still, for the warder had forbidden him to sing or play at night and he dared not risk losing the man's favor. Paula laid down again with Orion's letter in her hand, and when she felt slumber stealing upon her, she pushed it under her pillow and ere long was sleeping on it. When they both woke, soon after sunrise, they had been dreaming of each other and gladly hailed the return of day. How furious Orion had felt when the prison door closed upon him! He longed to wrench the iron bars from the window and kick down or force the door; and there is no more humiliating and enraging feeling for a man than that of finding himself shut up like a wild beast, cut off from the world to which he belongs and which he needs, both to give him all that makes life worth having, and to receive such good as he can do and give. Yesterday their dungeon had seemed a foretaste of hell, they had each been on the verge of despair; to-day what different feelings animated them! Orion had been the victim of blow on blow from Fate--Paula had looked forward to his return with an anxious and aching heart; to-day how calm were their souls, though both stood in peril of death. |
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